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Toyota Research Institute reaches ‘new technical milestones in robotics’

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Toyota Research Institute (TRI) says it has reached “new technical milestones in robotics”. The company has unveiled new robotics capabilities aimed at solving complex tasks in home environments.

Specifically, TRI roboticists were able to train robots to understand and operate in complicated situations that confuse most other robots, including recognizing and responding to transparent and reflective surfaces in a variety of circumstances.

As TRI demonstrates in a new video (see below), this robust system allows robots to make generalizations in a range of scenarios, including in different homes. [Read more…] about Toyota Research Institute reaches ‘new technical milestones in robotics’

Toyota venture fund invests in robotic kitchen startup

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Toyota AI Ventures, Toyota’s early-stage venture capital fund, has decided to invest in YPC Technologies, a robotic kitchen startup based in Montreal, Canada.

The funding follows YPC Technologies’ participation in the 2020 Toyota AI Ventures “call for innovation” focused on smart, connected cities that launched earlier this year in partnership with Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development (TRI-AD) and Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

Toyota AI Ventures views cities as a platform for innovation, and this year’s global call for innovation focused on attracting and investing in early-stage startups that are building solutions for smart and connected cities in the areas of artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomy, mobility, cloud, or data. [Read more…] about Toyota venture fund invests in robotic kitchen startup

Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

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Toyota Research Institute plans to make its Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle available for public demonstration rides next summer in Tokyo.

Offered from July to September 2020, the P4 will demonstrate Toyota’s “Chauffeur” SAE Level-4 capabilities in a specific “mobility as a service” driving environment.

The P4 experience will take place in Tokyo’s Odaiba district, a busy and often congested waterfront subcenter. [Read more…] about Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

‘Snow-how’: Finns develop autonomous snow removal vehicles

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Robotic vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers are already reality, but can the same idea be applied to a 7-ton machine clearing snow from an airstrip?

To show it can, Valtra and Nokian Tyres partnered up with three other Finnish companies in March 2019 for a joint proof-of-concept project at the European Union’s northernmost airport.

Two Valtra T254 Versu equipped with Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI tyres and each pulling a 4.5 m wide sweeper blower autonomously cleared the runway at Ivalo airport in Finnish Lapland.

[Read more…] about ‘Snow-how’: Finns develop autonomous snow removal vehicles

Toyota Research Institute unveils P4 automated driving test vehicle

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Toyota Research Institute (TRI) showed the TRI-P4 automated driving test vehicle at CES last week. The P4 is based on the all-new fifth-generation Lexus LS flagship sedan and will be used in TRI’s two-track Guardian and Chauffeur automated driving system development.

The P4 has Lexus’ new generation of chassis and steering control technology, which provides greater agility and allows for more responsive and smoother manoeuvres during automated driving.

It has two additional cameras to improve situational awareness on the sides and two new imaging sensors―one facing forward and one pointed to the rear―specifically designed for autonomous vehicles. The imaging sensors feature new chip technology with high dynamic range.

[Read more…] about Toyota Research Institute unveils P4 automated driving test vehicle

Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community

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Boston has become one of the main centres for robotics technologies in recent years, with many well-known companies emerging from the area. 

Perhaps with this in mind, the Toyota Research Institute decided to showcase its latest developments in autonomous vehicle technology, something it’s calling “Platform 2.0” – basically, its new driverless car – to attendees at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference at MIT.

“This is the first time that we are showing the car off to the Boston-area robotics community,” said a spokesman for TRI. “This new advanced safety research vehicle is the first autonomous testing platform developed entirely by TRI, and reflects the rapid progress of our autonomous driving program.”  [Read more…] about Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community

Open Source Robotics Foundation teams up with Toyota Research Institute for software research

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toyota-car-tech

Tools for robotics and autonomous vehicles central to the two organisations

The Open Source Robotics Foundation and the Toyota Research Institute are to work together on developing new robotics and automation technologies. 

In addition, TRI has made a charitable contribution of $1 million to OSRF to support the organization’s goals to develop and promote the growth of the open source robotics community and to support the development of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo.

 

Gill Pratt, TRI CEO, says: “I’ve witnessed first-hand the value of the Open Source Robotics Foundation. Of the 23 teams that competed in the Darpa Robotics Challenge 18 used ROS and 14 used Gazebo.

“Through this charitable contribution, TRI will support efforts to grow the capabilities of ROS and Gazebo, not only for TRI, but also for the hundreds of thousands of members of the open source robotics community.”  [Read more…] about Open Source Robotics Foundation teams up with Toyota Research Institute for software research

Toyota turbo-charges AI and robotics operations in the US. Looks to hire 50 experts

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Akio Toyoda Dr Gill Pratt at the launch of Toyota Research Institute
Akio Toyoda and Dr Gill Pratt at the launch of Toyota Research Institute a few months ago

Toyota has decided to boost its activities in artificial intelligence and robotics in the US.

Dr Gill Pratt, CEO of Toyota Research Institute (TRI), said the company will establish its third TRI facility in the US.

The new facility will be located in Ann Arbor, near the University of Michigan (U-M) campus where it will fund research in artificial intelligence, robotics and materials science.  [Read more…] about Toyota turbo-charges AI and robotics operations in the US. Looks to hire 50 experts

Toyota Research Institute expands autonomous vehicle development team

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Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and Jaybridge Robotics announced today that the Jaybridge Robotics software engineering team has joined TRI.

“TRI’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and product development in many areas, including artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous passenger vehicles,“ TRI CEO Gill Pratt said.

“The 16-member Jaybridge team brings decades of experience developing, testing, and supporting autonomous vehicle products which perfectly complements the world-class research team at TRI.”

Jaybridge CEO Jeremy Brown added: “Where Jaybridge has historically limited its focus to industrial applications such as agriculture and mining, TRI is going after the big one: helping to reduce the nearly 1.25 million traffic fatalities each year, worldwide. We couldn’t be more excited.”

The former Jaybridge team has joined TRI’s Cambridge, MA facility. Like everyone else at TRI, they will be working closely with counterparts at TRI facilities across the US, as well as with partner Toyota research and development teams around the world.

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